Comment EI-19358
Received or sent (printed as 1/5/2013)
I am writing to request that you please include the following when addressing Air Quality and Human Health resulting from the shipment of coal: 1. Appropriately and accurately estimate air pollutant concentrations as a function of distance from railways. What are diesel emissions exposures based on close proximity and distant proximity to railways. 2. Estimate air pollutant concentrations under normal and poor air mixing conditions (such as temperature inversions). 3. Estimate health impacts for those most exposed and susceptible (for example, the elderly, children, people with suppressed immune systems, and pregnant women). Please also look at subclinical risks, (such as high blood pressure, enlarged left ventricular hypertrophy, diabetes): examine the extent to which these are exacerbated by chronic or acute exposure, and how does proximity to railways influence these risk factors? 4. Please take into account disparity in those who will be most affected (for example, those who work, live, and go to school closest to the railways). 5. Please investigate the chemicals, listed as nano particles," that are proposed to be sprayed on the coal to "mitigate" coal dust. What are these chemicals? What health impacts do they have? Do we want them in our ground water, our air? How effective are they at decreasing coal dust? 6. Please determine the impacts of the 48 million tons of coal being shipped to China and burned with limited or no pollution control devices. How much more mercury will end up in our shared oceans? How much will end up in the air that we breathe? How will this impact our warming planet? We cannot pretend that once this commodity product is shipped off our shores that it will no longer impact us. 7. Please consider a no-action alternative to this proposal. What kind of air quality and overall health would we enjoy if this route never exists? Could we instead work toward cleaner air, less emissions, more efficient energy, cleaner water, and improve health? These are things I currently work toward in my individual daily actions and choices. Air pollution has been improving across the US over the past 30 years. Would a no-action alternative keep us moving in that direction? I appreciate your time and consideration. I do not envy your work, but I implore you to please look into this issue as deeply and thoroughly as possible. My health, the health of my family, the health of my community, and the health of future generations depend on it. Thank you, Jessie"
Submitted by: Jessie Tierney
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-30186/comment/EI-19358 · back to the docket sheet